Downtown Vancouver

Vancouver began when ‘Gassy’ Jack Deighton opened a bar to service the growing population of the port located at the terminus of the newly built railroad. This neighborhood is named after it’s founder, known as Gastown. The city has grown outward exponentially ever since. Vancouver is 125 years old, Canada’s third largest city and has surpassed it’s humble beginnings as a shipping port to become a world-class city.

Downtown Vancouver is where most of the action happens, a concentration of commerce, entertainment, and attractions. Around 1/6th of Vancouver’s population lives on the peninsula which is bordered by Burrard Inlet, English Bay, and False Creek. Surrounded by beautiful mountains, and an abundance of water, Vancouver is blessed with many great views, especially in the downtown area.

This summer I have been back in my hometown of Vancouver, working and saving money for future adventures. It’s always strange being “home” again after living away, but I have been very active, exploring as much as I can while I am here. I’ve been actively trying to view Vancouver through the eyes of a visitor, exploring my home city on my days off.

So like most tourists, my photo adventure through Vancouver begins with the City Center. From Gastown to the West End, downtown is where the best restaurants are, the tallest buildings and home to the best nightlife. Take in a Canucks game or catch a football (both types) game at BC Place. Find a spot at one of the downtown beaches to watch the sunset over English Bay. Spend the afternoon enjoying local art at the Vancouver Art Gallery. It has a small footprint but packs a lot into a small area.

Now that the summer is coming to an end, it’s finally time to collect all my pictures together and share them with everyone. I also have a lot of old pictures from the last 12 years taken throughout the city, and after a few weeks of sorting through my old hard-drives, I have picked some of my favourites to supplement the photos I have taken this summer. I have tried to capture the essence of Vancouver through photos and will begin this exploration with Downtown Vancouver.